8 Things to Stop Doing when you suffer from acne

Acne is one of the most common dermatological disorders with onset most often in adolescence. About 85% of young people are affected by acne at some point and often continue in adulthood evolution. The psychological impact is high and may produce problems of social integration.

There are lots of articles that teach you what to do when you have acne but I haven’t found any about what you shouldn’t do, because this is very important. So, here are 8 things to stop doing when you suffer from acne:
1. Do not use harsh cleaning products that contain irritating ingredients. It’s important to understand that a gentle cleaning is essential and excessive cleaning will only dry out the skin and sebaceous glands will respond to this drying with a higher quantity of sebum production, creating a vicious circle.

2. Do not use products that claim to be effective against acne before checking what ingredients contain. Most often contain surfactants, very harsh abrasives, alcohol, menthol, camphor, lemon extracts, essential oils, etc. All these ingredients are irritating, they do not disinfect, do not peel, do not reduce excess sebum on the contrary they kill skin cells, lead to skin irritation and redness which can lead to excessive desquamation, dry skin, clogged pores, etc.

3.Do not use products like masks, astringent toners and creams that contain irritating ingredients.

4. Do not use liquid soaps to wash your face. These products contain ingredients that clog pores and have a high PH which promotes the growth of bacteria on the skin. An ideal face cleaner is a water soluble product.

5. Do not touch pustules unless strictly necessary. Squeezing pimples can lead to scars. After this, apply minimum pressure for 4-5 minutes on area with a clean, dry towel and when the place is dry apply an anti-bacterial solution.

6. Do not use warm compresses to speed up the pustules. Warm compresses are irritating to the skin, causing swelling and redness, and the entire process can even break pores infected with bacteria.

7. Do not use hair products that contain ingredients, which can cause acne. Spray hair, mousse hair and other styling products containing polymers (ingredients that form a film on the surface, they are a type of plastic) and can block pores. Take great care not to touch the face when using these products, especially hair wax products.

8. Do not smoke. In the British Journal of Dermatology published in 2001 and an article about smokers. Conclusion was that 40% of smokers had acne as opposed to 25% of non-smokers and that smoking is an important factor which contributes to the severity of acne.